E Lydian Dominant Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The E Lydian dominant scale has 7 notes: E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D. Lydian dominant (the overtone scale) is Mixolydian with a raised 4th, or Lydian with a ♭7. It is the jazz sound over a 7♯11 chord and the bright “Simpsons theme” sound.

Compared with the E major scale it has ♯4 (A♯ instead of A), ♭7 (D instead of D♯).

The explorer above is set to E Lydian dominant: the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 7 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

E Lydian dominant scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from E	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	E	R	0	S
2	F♯	M2	2	R
3	G♯	M3	4	G
♯4	A♯	A4	6	M'
5	B	P5	7	P
6	C♯	M6	9	D
♭7	D	m7	10	n

Steps between the notes: W W W H W H W (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any E and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

E Lydian dominant scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, E Lydian dominant has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on E on the low E string at fret 0; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Position 1 frets 0–6	2 4 6	2 3 5	1 3 4	0 2 4	1 2 4	0 2 4
Position 2 frets 2–7	4 6 7	3 5 7	3 4 6	2 4 6	2 4 5	2 4 6
Position 3 frets 4–9	6 7 9	5 7 9	4 6 7	4 6 8	4 5 7	4 6 7
Position 4 frets 5–11	7 9 10	7 9 11	6 7 9	6 8 9	5 7 9	6 7 9
Position 5 frets 7–12	9 10 12	9 11 12	7 9 11	8 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 10
Position 6 frets 9–14	10 12 14	11 12 14	9 11 13	9 11 12	9 11 13	9 10 12
Position 7 frets 10–16	12 14 16	12 14 15	11 13 15	11 12 14	11 13 14	10 12 14

Chords in the E Lydian dominant scale

Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives these chords. They are the chords a song in E Lydian dominant is made from, and the chords this scale fits over.

	I	II	iii°	♯iv°	v	vi	♭VII+
Triad	E	F♯	G♯dim	A♯dim	Bm	C♯m	Daug
7th chord	E7	F♯7	G♯m7♭5	A♯m7♭5	BmMaj7	C♯m7	Dmaj7♯5

Where you hear it

E Lydian dominant is used in jazz, fusion and funk. It sounds best over dominant 7♯11 chords and 9th chords.

Backing tracks to practise E Lydian dominant

E blues shuffle E slow blues E major pop E major ballad E jazz ii – V – I E Mixolydian rock

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 0–6) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every E (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on E.